Veliko Tarnovo municipality has updated its latest Town and Country Development Plan (TCDP)

Veliko Tarnovo Town council will meet regarding the town and country plan

According to the Bulgarian Law on spatial planning and overall development in the municipality the general structure of the regional plan and overwhelming use of its constituent structural parts being; location and boundaries of urban areas, farmland, forests, protected areas, contaminated areas and those with special and mixed use.
The TCDP gives general regimes for each of these areas with targets, measures and requirements for conservation use, building and development, identify networks and technical infrastructure facilities and areas with perhaps predictable natural disasters and necessary preventive measures and ways of planning and protection.
TCDP development for the municipality of Veliko Tarnovo has been done since 2006 adopted by the Town Council in April 2007. A preliminary draft TCDP was ready in 2008 and adopted by Town Council in 2009. In 2010 after a commission, an opinion needed to be sought on the environmental assessment . There have been meetings and coordination with environmental organisations, the guild of architects, the road agency, the Regional Directorate of Forestry, Water, Energy, National Institute of immovable cultural heritage, businesses, mayors and deputy mayors. Continue Reading

More good news for Bulgaria and again a demonstration that Bulgarian real estate is a very worthwhile investment to base your small to medium enterprise (SME) in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is now ranking in 2nd place within the European Union in relation to the “debt-to-GDP ratio”, which is a recognised economic indicator of the health of a country’s economy, according to data supplied by Eurostat. In the third quarter of 2012 the correlation between debt and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 18,7%.

Bulgaria economy, “debt-to-GDP ratio” shows Bulgaria is on the right track in Europe!

Over the past few days the Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo, Daniel Panov, organised and has been engaged in working meetings with representatives of the North Central Bulgaria regional forest management companies occupied in logging, the police, mayors and deputy mayors of towns and villages discussing the various problems caused by logging.

Daniel Panov, Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo

During these forums held in 23 towns and villages in the municipality of Veliko Turnovo the mayor heard numerous complaints about the way in which the lumber companies de-forest and transport the cut timber.

More governance is required to stop this type of deforestation within the woodlands around Veliko Tarnovo

In many places, the main issue was the lack of regulation and control within the industry as a whole! The forests and woods are being “cut to the bone” which sadly can lead to landslides and the movement of cut timber by heavy lorries is visibly destroying road infrastructure and causing major damage to private homes in Bulgaria and agricultural Bulgarian Real Estate.

Huge swathes of woodland and forest has been “removed to the bone” is this about to stop in Veliko Tarnovo?

The Mayor’s personal observations were non compliance with restrictive tonnage signs of trucks down secondary roads with weak bridges, distortion of the roads and pavements, damage to drainage and sewerage systems. “Investing in repairs of streets and roads while trucks demolish the same infrastructure. Landslides on roads and roads disappearing through landslides, Subsidence of private land and cracks in the walls of houses, and bridges being damaged too. A better co-ordination between all institutions and companies to improve the activity of logging is required as a whole” the mayor said.

The local road infrastructure around Veliko tarnovo is only designed for light traffic, not masses of heavy logging trucks

Daniel Panov said to the company representatives at the meeting that the goal was not to interfere with their business but only to regulate all the activities that have a bearing on all stakeholders which includes protecting local communities and the public interest by complying with regulations, instead of creating problems by destroying infrastructure and private Bulgarian properties.

Large old trucks designed to get into the forests

“It is not correct or fair that the profits of some cause problems and suffering for others and damage to public infrastructure. We need to discuss and put forward legislative changes, organise a consensus and have a full understanding and then agreement of all parties to resolve this important issue, “said the mayor.

Landslides and a desert instead of woodland and forest, this is a scene which cannot be tolerated around Veliko Tarnovo

In conclusion it was agreed by December 27th necessary measures were to be drawn up with the intent to resolve these problems and by January 15th, 2013 to come up with a solution at the second meeting with all institutions and stakeholders.

By this time the Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry will take action, said Chief Commissioner Zhivko Kotsev. Limited movement of heavy timber will be via regulated routes and crossings. Anyone who violates these routes shall have sanctions imposed upon them.

I read with interest the view of Delyan Dobrev with regards to the development of a 2nd Technology Park.

Delyan Dobrev has a good point regarding a 2nd Techno Park in Bulgaria

Should a second one ever be developed, since the 1st one is to be built in Sofia next to the Bulgarian capital city’s Tsarigradsko Chaussee Boulevard, Sofia Tech Park, a 100 million leva (50 million euro) project. Comprising of new real estate in Bulgaria, the first stage of Sofia Tech Park would accelerate innovation in information and communication technology, confirmed President Rossen Plevneliev in June this year. When completed, the park will include state of the art Bulgarian real estate comprising; offices, a technology centre and a museum. The aim of this project will be to make Bulgaria a regional leader in IT.

However, we must agree that Bulgaria as a nation proudly hosts some of the most fertile soils and is able to become a European regional leader in Agribusiness development, or (for the uninitiated) the amalgamation of agriculture and business, with specific reference to the range of activities and knowledge encompassed by modern food and beverage production. So yes, it makes absolute sense to develop a 2nd Technology Park focused on agribusiness technology as per Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism Delyan Dobrev said just over a week ago.

The only opinion I have which is different to the Ministers’ is the location! Speaking during an international forum on industry and innovations, he was adamant that if such a project was given the go ahead, it would be developed near the city of Plovdiv to host agribusiness companies. Now I am aware that there is the International Fair Plovdiv which hosts the AGRA exhibition, International Agricultural Exhibition and BioAgra – Trade Exhibition of Organic Farming, however the International Fair also hosts the ITALIAN FESTIVAL OF BEAUTY AND HAIR-STYLE (International Exhibition of Hairdressing, Beauty, Make-up, Perfumery and Fashion), C.A.C. & C.A.C.I.B (International Dog and Cat Shows), MEDICUS DENTO GALENIA (International Exhibition of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutics), FOODTECH (International Exhibition of Food & Drinks, Packaging, Machines and Technologies) and INTERMIN EXPO (International Exhibition of Mining Industry) to name but a few. Plovdiv appears to get its fair share of exhibitions and companies based there would specifically be related to machinery, mining, power engineering and ecology and of course wine making in the Thracian Plain.

So what about looking to the North Central area of Bulgaria, commonly known as the Danubian Plain, spanning from Dobrich to Pleven and in the centre is the old capital of Bulgaria, Veliko Tarnovo which is positioned adjacent to Gorna Oryahovitsa. This town used to be the centre of rail transportation across Bulgaria and its borderline neighbours and food processing and export used to be one of its main activities after harvesting crops from the plain and surrounding lands. Not only has it retained its centre of rail infrastructure (all be it in need of modernisation) it also has a fully operational International airport, which those of you who read my blogs frequently will recall that a letter of intent has allegedly been lodged regarding the purchase of the concession. Therefore the region of Veliko Turnovo has a recent historical pedigree in agribusiness and sits adjacent to some of the most fertile open tracts of land and estate in Bulgaria. Veliko Tarnovo is home to the 2nd largest university in Bulgaria after Sofia, the St. Cyril and St. Methodius University. Veliko Tarnovo is in the centre of Bulgaria on major cross roads and there is also an abundance of wine production in the region and acres of forestry.

The site of Vasil Levski Military University would be perfect for a Agribusiness based Technical Park

Last but by no means least is the fact that there is a huge plot of land, prime Veliko Tarnovo Real Estate, many commercial and educational properties lying empty and yet built soundly which would immediately lend themselves for use as an Agribusiness based Technology Park, being ecologically and environmentally friendly, through not having to demolish and start again.

Great location and campus for a new Agrobusiness Technology Park

Its actually already a campus and this use would fit into the towns spatial development plan. The site is the Vasil Levski national military university and academy site to the west of the town, adjacent to the site are hectares of land which would be suitable for crop research and development. The site can be seen on the satellite image outlined in red.